Friday July 6, 2007 FEATURES AutoGas: POS system meets card industry's security standards AutoGas Systems responded to a research firm's finding that point-of-sale (POS) systems are vulnerable to identity thieves. AutoGas, Abilene, Texas, offers Regal POS Streamline2 software, which complies with the Cardholder Information Security Program (CISP) to meet security validation and data encryption standards as set by the Payment Card Industry (PCI), AutoGas said in a July 2 statement. (Full Story) Temperature compensation on agenda at Weights and Measures conference As standards experts prepare to consider a proposed model for temperature compensation at retail, refiner Tesoro started putting warning decals on dispensers at its gas stations, including dozens of Shell stations in California, according to news reports. The decals warned that consumers may not get all the energy they paid for in a gallon of gasoline, according to an article by Judy Dugan in California Progress Report. (Full Story) Sign up for a FREE subscription to NPN, the magazine that has been reporting news and trends in the petroleum and convenience store industry since 1909. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Get The Data That Drives The Petroleum & Convenience Industry Today! To order your print copy or CD version of the 2006 NPN MarketFacts edition, please click here NEWS ITEMS EIA: gasoline and diesel prices fall For the sixth straight week, the U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline fell, declining 2.3 cents to 295.9 cents per gallon as of July 2, according to the July 5 issue of "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). (Full Story) Water levels drop at flooded Kansas refinery Water levels at the flooded Coffeyville Resources refinery in Kansas have dropped significantly, allowing office staff to return to work on July 5, a Coffeyville spokesman said, according to a Reuters article by Robert Campbell. (Full Story) Valero completes sale of Lima, Ohio, refinery Valero Energy Corp. announced July 3 that it has completed the sale of the Lima, Ohio, refinery to Husky Energy Inc. (Full Story) NYACS' TV ad voices frustration over tax enforcement in New York State Convenience store operators in New York State are taking to the airwaves to voice their frustration with Gov. Eliot Spitzer's inaction on the tax fairness issue, according to a statement by the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS). (Full Story) Motorists sue oil companies, retailers over 'hot fuel' losses Hundreds of consumers in more than a dozen states are suing oil companies and gas retailers, alleging that they have been overcharged by billions of dollars because of temperature's affect on gasoline dispensing, according to a July 4 article by Laura Parker in USA Today. (Full Story) Shops, condos, give elbow to gas stations in New York City When it comes to land for residential or commercial development, gasoline stations clean up nicely, real estate brokers say, and as a result, stations are steadily disappearing from New York City, according to a July 4 article by Alison Gregor in The New York Times. (Full Story) Gulf to fill up New England with gas stations Gulf Oil Chief Executive Officer Joe Petrowski might be touching off a brand war in New England, pledging to bring 500 gas stations under the Gulf flag in three years, according to a July 4 article by Rob Varnon in the Connecticut Post. (Full Story) 7-Eleven 'converts' selected stores to 'Kwik-E-Mart' for Simpsons movie In the run-up to the July 27 release of "The Simpsons Movie," 7-Eleven has dressed up some of its stores as facsimile "Kwik-E-Marts" - the convenience store run by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon in the long-running animated TV series. (Full Story) DM2 Software names Tom Lane vice president of sales DM2 Software, Inc., a provider of business management software solutions to the petroleum distribution industry, announced July 2 that Tom Lane has joined the company as vice president of sales. (Full Story) Costco's gas prices tend to be lowest; magazine looks at how it's done Costco, the warehouse chain based in Issaquah, Wash., operates 268 gas stations, and its gas is cheap, cheaper, or cheapest in all of those markets, according to an article by Amy Feldman in the July issue of Fast Company magazine. (Full Story) Alon USA purchases additional pipelines in California Alon USA Energy, Inc. announced July 2 that it has finalized the purchase of the crude and unfinished products pipeline system from Kinder Morgan, Inc. known as the "Black Oil System" for a purchase price of $4.5 million. (Full Story) D.C. inaugurates a flex-fuel filling station Owners of flex-fuel vehicles filled up with an E85 ethanol blend in the District of Columbia for the first time on June 28, at the Georgetown Chevron, 2450 Wisconsin Ave. NW, according to an article in The Washington Post. (Full Story) SeeSaw extends network to petroleum/convenience sites SeeSaw Networks, an out-of-home digital media company, announced on June 28 the addition of PetroTV and emebaVet to its network of digital media venues. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK GRINDMASTER INTRODUCES INNOVATION IN COLD DRINK DISPENSING Grindmaster Corporation (Louisville, Ky.), a leading manufacturer of beverage dispensing equipment, is pleased to introduce the Crathco® G-Cool™ line of Cold Premix Beverage Dispensers. This innovative line of dispensers has re-invented the category with cooling technology that results in better hygiene, more efficient cooling and stronger merchandising. The energy efficient, patented Tri-cool™ evaporator features a large 3-sided cooling surface that refrigerates through the bowl contributing to simple machine care and easy operator interface. Unit cleans in half the time of a traditional dispenser, saving labor and promoting better sanitation. The unique, integrated G-Cool™ machine design is enhanced by 360° dynamic merchandising. Large, high impact graphics on sides of unit, along with front and rear beverage windows, offer branding opportunities. A specially designed magnetic mixing system keeps product mixed without creating unwanted foam in Iced Tea and Iced Cappuccino. The unit is also perfect for lemonade, horchata, fruit juices and fruit drinks. The Crathco® G-Cool™ line of dispensers includes full size models (one or two 18 liter /5 gallon bowls) or Mini Series models (two or four 9 liter/2.4 gallon bowls), and a unique, Focus-Flavor™ triple bowl model with one 18 liter bowl and two 9 liter bowls. Modular construction and many common components throughout the line promote convenient maintenance and low parts inventories. Grindmaster www.grindmaster.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS Georgia Oilmen's Association Sunbelt Petroleum Conference Birmingham, Ala. July 11-15 (334)272-3800 www.georgiaoilmensassoc.com Pennsylvania Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association Summer Conference Golden Arrow Hotel Lake Placid, NY July 15-17 (717) 902-0210 www.ppmcsa.org   Oregon Petroleum Association (OPA) Annual Sunriver Conference Sunriver, Ore. July 15-18 www.opma.net Florida Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association 2007 Convention & Trade Show Gaylord Palms Resort Kissimmee, Fla. July 21-25 www.fpma.org   For a complete list of industry events, go to NPN's calendar web page.  Published By NPN Group |  © 2007 NPN Group | All Rights Reserved For more information on NPN MarketPulse, contact: Gary Bevers, group publisher M2MEDIA360 Retail Distribution Group Ph: 832-444-7675 Fax: 800-430-3446 Keith Reid, editor-in-chief M2MEDIA360 NPN Group Ph: 630-739-0280 Fax: 630-739-0321 This newsletter is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of M2MEDIA360.

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